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DE PERE – To better serve its customers throughout the region and streamline operations, Hayes Graphics is relocating its operations from Mosinee to De Pere (1801 Lawrence Drive).
Jim Gingle, general manager of Hayes/Independent, said the move will allow Hayes to operate under the same roof as its parent company, Independent Printing & Packing – which he said has been in De Pere for more than 90 years.
“Hayes Graphics is a provider of high-quality printing and packaging solutions,” he said. “This move is really about consolidating operations with Independent, allowing Hayes to operate from a larger, more advanced facility.”
Gingle said the transition enables Hayes to streamline production workflows, improve turnaround times and offer a broader range of printing and packaging capabilities to its clients.
“By centralizing resources, Hayes is better positioned to scale its services and meet growing customer demand across industries,” he said.
Though Hayes will operate under the same roof as Independent, Gingle said that doesn’t mean the company is closing.
“Operations will continue seamlessly from the new De Pere facility, where customers can expect responsive service, high-quality products and dedicated support backed by expanded capabilities and the strength of a larger production team,” he said.
With the move, Gingle said customers can expect:
- The same great service, as the team remains committed to providing expert guidance and responsive service throughout the move and beyond
- Expanded capabilities – getting access to additional technology and production resources in De Pere
- A seamless transition – no disruption to orders or production timelines
Despite Independent acquiring Hayes in 2015, Gingle said discussions about moving its productions to De Pere only began about six months ago.
“We really started thinking seriously about the move because in De Pere, we have two shifts that we can utilize,” he said. “Not only will customers see shorter lead times, but we have a larger estimating staff (in De Pere), so as far as getting quotes, that will also be quicker. The move just really made sense.”
Gingle said the De Pere facility also has plenty of room for both the near and distant future.
“There isn’t a lot of equipment coming with the move – there are basically five machines – but we’ve got the room,” he said. “The last day of production for Hayes at the Mosinee location (was) May 2. Then from May 5-9, we’ll remove all the equipment. In a perfect world, we’ll be producing again for Hayes in De Pere (by) May 12.”
Gingle said there are approximately 130 employees at the De Pere location.
“In Mosinee, Hayes had just six employees running things there,” he said. “The olive branch was offered because the company cares deeply for its employees, but (the six employees) chose not to make the move. Once we move all the equipment to De Pere and get things rolling, we’ll probably add two or three employees to take on the additional production work.”
A great pair
Gingle said Independent Printing & Packaging has been around since 1935 and started as a general commercial printer.
“In 1992, Independent started selling nationwide through promotional products, people and other printers,” he said.
Gingle said Independent acquired Hayes in 2015 to “give our customers more options.”
“Hayes is purely a large-format printer, so they do a lot of signs, banners, window graphics, wall graphics – things of that nature,” he said.
According to the company’s website (independentinc.com), Hayes produces:
- Retractable banner stands
- Vehicle graphics
- Floor graphics
- Under ice graphics
- Trade show displays
- Point of purchase displays
- Standees
- Decals, labels & posters
Combined, Gingle said the companies work in various industries, including banks/credit unions, college/tech schools, construction/architects, corporate branding, health care, manufacturing, nonprofit, restaurants/food service and tourism/travel.
Though he has been with Independent for 14 years, Gingle said he wasn’t part of the Hayes acquisition discussions.
“I’m confident in saying the reason for the acquisition was to broaden what we can do in the world of printing,” he said. “I guess it made us a little more ‘clingy’ to our customers. If you have all these different options, customers are less likely to go somewhere else – it increased our capabilities.”
Gingle said Independent does various things as a company.
“We do commercial printing, so that’s your brochures, catalogs, sell sheets, things of that nature,” he said. “We also get into packaging and folding cartons like you would see in a retail environment. We also do subscription boxes that you would order online, that are sent to you monthly in that kind of corrugated type material. We also do business forms, greeting cards, personal and business checks, pocket folders, portfolios and of course, the large-format printing.”
Gingle said he believes all printing companies have noticed a shift in the business over the years.
“That’s why, in 2021, we rebranded from Independent Printing to Independent Printing & Packaging,” he said. “The rebranding showed more of our focus on the packaging market, which has allowed us to grow. Once we got more into the folding carton type work, that’s been a really good thing for us. You’ll see a lot of commercial printers that are going down that road – getting more into packaging because it’s such a steady business.”
Additionally, Gingle said Independent is owned by a parent company named Enis.
“They’re based out of Midlothian, Texas, and they own 56 different printers across the United States,” he said. “We are one of those 56 – Ennis acquired us in 2017.”
Digital world
Like any company, Gingle said Independent/Hayes has had to adapt over the years in tandem with ever-evolving technology.
He said both companies have “definitely gone more digital.”
“In the last few years, we’ve acquired a couple of digital presses,” he said. “I think there is always going to be a need for the offset presses, which we do really large runs on. The digital equipment is definitely a lot more efficient, quicker and less expensive to produce products digitally. I think it’s certainly something that’s going to continue to grow.”
Though the companies currently don’t use many AI (artificial intelligence) tools, Gingle said, “I’d be foolish to think we won’t at some point.”
“I use ChatGPT, but that’s about it for now,” he laughed.
For more information on Hayes Graphics or Independent Printing & Packaging, visit independentinc.com.
